BRETT PETER COWAN has been committed to stand trial for the abduction and murder of Sunshine Coast teenager Daniel Morcombe.

After a committal hearing that ran for almost three weeks, Magistrate Brendan Butler said Mr Cowan would be judged by a jury of his peers.

''I am of the opinion the evidence is sufficient to put the defendant on trial,'' he said.

It was almost inevitable. In his summation, defence lawyer Michael Bosscher conceded there was a prima facie case against his client, a line he had held to throughout the committal hearing.

Mr Cowan is facing five charges, including child stealing, interfering with a corpse, deprivation of liberty, indecent treatment of a child and murder.

Mr Butler said: ''It is not my role to make findings of fact, that is for the jury. I am not assessing the guilt of the accused, merely whether there is enough evidence to consider him for trial.''

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Mr Cowan, who stood while Mr Butler delivered his decision, was formally charged by the court.

He was told he was entitled to give evidence and call witnesses during his trial and was then asked if he had anything to say in relation to the charges - but was warned anything he said could be used against him.

''No sir,'' Mr Cowan replied. He did not enter a plea.

Mr Cowan will face the Brisbane Supreme Court on a date to be set. He did not make an application for bail.

The committal hearing only touched on police evidence from the eight-year investigation, which began when 13-year-old Daniel went missing while waiting for a bus on December 7, 2003.